Jaypaw’s forepaws slipped as the ground dipped down steeply in front of him. Unsheathing his claws, he skittered down the slope, half running, half falling into a soft swath of ferns at the bottom. Only tail-lengths ahead, claws scraped against stone. Cats hissed and yowled, and the air smelled of blood.

And of fish. RiverClan were here already.

He’d found Brambleclaw’s patrol too late!

Jaypaw trembled as he sensed exhaustion flooding from his Clanmates. They couldn’t hold out much longer.

“Jaypaw?” Hollypaw was backing through the ferns toward him. “I thought I smelled you.” Her words were slurred, and her pelt was sticky with blood. She was as close to being beaten as he’d ever known. And yet determination still stiffened her battered body.

I should have brought traveling herbs to give her strength.

“What are you doing here?” she panted.

“I came to warn you that RiverClan have come to help WindClan.”

“Thanks, but we know,” she mewed grimly. Suddenly she pushed him back. “Stay out of the way!” Paws were padding toward them. Jaypaw smelled a RiverClan tom advancing.

A growl rumbled in Hollypaw’s throat. Jaypaw sensed the power and energy rippling beneath the RiverClan warrior’s pelt. It was an unfair match! Hollypaw was exhausted. He had to help her. Crouching beside her, he faced the tom and ripped at the ground with his claws.

Then he froze. Another scent was tainting the air.

ShadowClan!

Tawnypelt was fighting close to Brambleclaw. Was ShadowClan battling them too?

Paws pounded up the Twoleg path. More ShadowClan!

Jaypaw felt a wave of despair break over him. How could they possibly fight three Clans? Had StarClan given up on them entirely? He stumbled back into the ferns. There was nothing he could do now to save his Clan.

Fur brushed his pelt. Tawnypelt was beside him. “What are you doing here?” she demanded.

Jaypaw lashed out with a forepaw, aiming for her muzzle, rage burning in his belly. “How can you attack your own kin?”

She blocked his blow with her paw. “We’ve come to help,” she hissed. “Hollypaw fetched us!” She shoved him farther back into the ferns. “Get back to the hollow and stay out of trouble!”

“What about Hollypaw?”

“Snaketail and Scorchpaw will help her.”

Jaypaw tasted the air. Two ShadowClan warriors were fighting alongside Hollypaw now, their scents mingling with the tang of fish-foul blood spraying from her RiverClan attacker. Her paws scrabbled against the path as she leaped forward and, with a yowl of rage and pain, the RiverClan cat pounded away into the forest.

“Go now!” Tawnypelt urged. She turned to head back into the fight, but Jaypaw pressed his paw to her flank.

“Firestar’s outnumbered by the WindClan border, and Dustpelt’s struggling beside the lake.”